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i am trying to free space in my computer to upgrade to at least catalina but when i go to about this computer and storage the storage management button don't come up?

I am trying to update my software to at least Catalina and when i go to free space on (about this mac) icon click in storage the Manage storage button doesn't come up???? what other way do i go to free my memory? and why i don't get the option?

iMac, OS X 10.11

Posted on Jun 1, 2021 10:43 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jun 1, 2021 11:03 PM

From your profile you seem to be run-in OS X 10.11 which is El Capitan, there is no Manage button

in the Storage section, that option only came to macs with later OS's.


If you want to free up space on your mac just offload files you do not need on a daily basis to an external drive.

Movies, Images and Music commonly taken up the most space. Once you have confirmed thatchy have copied over

successfully you can delete them from your mac.


Before upgrading to Catalina I would recommend upgrading to macOS High Sierra first.


Which OS you can upgrade to will be governed by which model and year your mac is.

Click on the  top left of your screen click on About This Mac to find out the year of your mac.


For High Sierra and Catalina,


Open Safari and click on this link, 


How to get old versions of macOS – Apple Support

Go to Check Compatibility to see if your mac qualifies for the OS upgrade you want.

Then go to the Download OS section and click on the OS you want to install.


Before upgrading make a full back up of your Mac.


Check that third party apps you use have updates available for the new OS.

https://roaringapps.com

Check that your printers/ scanners etc have updated drivers and software available for the new OS.


Connect your mac to your router via cable rather than rely on WiFi.

Do not use your mac while it is downloading

and do not use any other devices that share the same internet connection.


If the App Store says ‘Open’ then it is detecting a previous download of the install app

go to the Applications folder locate Install macOS ******.app.

Move it to the Trash, empty the Trash.

Restart, click on the link again, the App Store should say ‘Get' or 'Download'.


If you want to or are able to install Big Sur, open Safari and click on the link below.

How to upgrade to macOS Big Sur - Apple Support


If you are considering upgrading to Catalina or Big Sur be warned they do not support 32bit apps.

Your Mac is probably running 32bit apps and these will need to be updated to 64bit apps,

some updates may be free, some may be paid. Use this app to discover which apps you have

are 32bit, https://www.stclairsoft.com/Go64/ then contact the developers of the software to see

if they are offering 64bit updates.

2 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jun 1, 2021 11:03 PM in response to updatecomputer

From your profile you seem to be run-in OS X 10.11 which is El Capitan, there is no Manage button

in the Storage section, that option only came to macs with later OS's.


If you want to free up space on your mac just offload files you do not need on a daily basis to an external drive.

Movies, Images and Music commonly taken up the most space. Once you have confirmed thatchy have copied over

successfully you can delete them from your mac.


Before upgrading to Catalina I would recommend upgrading to macOS High Sierra first.


Which OS you can upgrade to will be governed by which model and year your mac is.

Click on the  top left of your screen click on About This Mac to find out the year of your mac.


For High Sierra and Catalina,


Open Safari and click on this link, 


How to get old versions of macOS – Apple Support

Go to Check Compatibility to see if your mac qualifies for the OS upgrade you want.

Then go to the Download OS section and click on the OS you want to install.


Before upgrading make a full back up of your Mac.


Check that third party apps you use have updates available for the new OS.

https://roaringapps.com

Check that your printers/ scanners etc have updated drivers and software available for the new OS.


Connect your mac to your router via cable rather than rely on WiFi.

Do not use your mac while it is downloading

and do not use any other devices that share the same internet connection.


If the App Store says ‘Open’ then it is detecting a previous download of the install app

go to the Applications folder locate Install macOS ******.app.

Move it to the Trash, empty the Trash.

Restart, click on the link again, the App Store should say ‘Get' or 'Download'.


If you want to or are able to install Big Sur, open Safari and click on the link below.

How to upgrade to macOS Big Sur - Apple Support


If you are considering upgrading to Catalina or Big Sur be warned they do not support 32bit apps.

Your Mac is probably running 32bit apps and these will need to be updated to 64bit apps,

some updates may be free, some may be paid. Use this app to discover which apps you have

are 32bit, https://www.stclairsoft.com/Go64/ then contact the developers of the software to see

if they are offering 64bit updates.

Jun 2, 2021 1:53 AM in response to updatecomputer

  • See used and available storage space on your Mac and especially the Other Category as per Apple Official answer on managing this Category Other: Contains files that don’t fall into the categories listed here. This category primarily includes files and data used by the system, such as log files, caches, VM files, and other runtime system resources. Also included are temporary files, fonts, app support files, and plug-ins. You can't manage the contents of this category. The contents are managed by macOS, and the category varies in size depending on the current state of your Mac.


What is “Other” storage on a Mac, and how can I clean it out?


How to free up storage space on your Mac


Are there any AntiVirus, Disk Cleaner, Optimizers, Defrag, VPNs etc installed which should be removed as per Developers Instructions. They are useless, unneeded, cause havoc and interfere with the normal operation of the OS and may even Corrupt the OS requiring a Reinstallation.




i am trying to free space in my computer to upgrade to at least catalina but when i go to about this computer and storage the storage management button don't come up?

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